Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nouméa, New Caledonia 🇳🇨

Continent: Oceania

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Nouméa / Numean(us) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Port-Vila, Wallis et Futuna

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1847.07.23: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Nouvelle-Calédonie / Novæ Caledoniæ (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Central Oceania)
1901.02.09: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of New Hebrides
1966.06.21: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nouméa / Numean(us) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Port-Vila and Wallis et Futuna)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2025.01.14 – ...):

Archbishop Susitino Sionepoe, S.M. (60)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Nouméa (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Susitino Sionepoe, S.M. (60)
(2025.01.14 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nouméa (New Caledonia)

Par lui ave lui et en lui

Born:	1965.01.04 (Vaitupu, Wallis and Futuna)
Ordained Priest:	1993.11.28
Consecrated Bishop:	2019.03.24

Bishop of Wallis et Futuna (Wallis and Futuna) (2018.12.24 – 2025.01.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nouméa (New Caledonia) (2025.01.14 – ...)

Archbishop Michel-Marie-Bernard Calvet, S.M. (81)
(1981.06.19 – 2025.01.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Nouméa (New Caledonia)

Sub stella

Born:	1944.04.03 (Autun, France)
Ordained Priest:	1973.04.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1979.11.04

Titular Bishop of Nigræ maiores (1979.07.04 – 1981.06.19)

Auxiliary Bishop of Nouméa (New Caledonia) (1979.07.04 – 1981.06.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nouméa (New Caledonia) (1981.06.19 – 2025.01.14)

President of Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (1996 – 2003)

Archbishop Eugène Klein, M.S.C.
(1972.04.07 – 1981)

Born:	1916.02.28 (Avenheim, France)
Ordained Priest:	1943.05.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1960.09.25
Died:	1992.12.07 (Strasbourg, France † 76)

Titular Bishop of Echinus (1960.06.14 – 1966.11.15)

Vicar Apostolic of Yule Island (Papua New Guinea) (1960.06.14 – 1966.11.15)

Bishop of Bereina (Papua New Guinea) (1966.11.15 – 1971.06.05)

Titular Archbishop of Velebusdus (1971.06.05 – 1972.04.07)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Nouméa (New Caledonia) (1971.06.05 – 1972.04.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nouméa (New Caledonia) (1972.04.07 – 1981)

Bishop Michel-Maurice-Augustin-Marie Darmancier, S.M.
(Apostolic Administrator 1970.08.31 – 1971.06.05)

Archbishop Pierre-Paul-Émile Martin, S.M.
(1966.06.21 – 1972.04.07)

Born:	1910.02.22 (Paris, France)
Ordained Priest:	1939.10.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1957.02.02
Died:	1987.04.08 (Paris, France † 77)

Titular Bishop of Selinus (1956.11.09 – 1966.06.21)

Vicar Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia) (1956.11.09 – 1966.06.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nouméa (New Caledonia) (1966.06.21 – 1972.04.07)

President of Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (1971 – 1978)

Apostolic Administrator of Port-Vila (Vanuatu) (1976.05.21 – 1976.12.31)

Vicars Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (Roman Rite)

Bishop Pierre-Paul-Émile Martin, S.M. (later Archbishop)
(1956.11.09 – 1966.06.21)

(see above)

Bishop Edoardo Bresson, S.M.
(1937.07.01 – 1956.11.09)

Born:	1884.07.04 (Langogne, France)
Ordained Priest:	1909.07.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1937.10.03
Died:	1967.04.28 († 82)

Vicar Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia) (1937.07.01 – 1956.11.09)

Titular Bishop of Cestrus (1937.07.01 – 1967.04.28)

Bishop Claude-Marie Chanrion, S.M.
(1905.09.01 – 1937.02.03)

Born:	1865.10.06 (Regnié, France)
Ordained Priest:	1889?
Consecrated Bishop:	1906.03.25
Died:	1941.10.17 († 76)

Vicar Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia) (1905.09.01 – 1937.02.03)

Titular Bishop of Chariopolis (1905.09.01 – 1941.10.17)

Bishop Alphonse-Hilarion Fraysse, S.M.
(1880.03.14 – 1905.09.01)

Born:	1842.06.24 (La Salvetat-Peyralès, France)
Ordained Priest:	1865.08.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1880.07.25
Died:	1905.09.01 († 63)

Titular Bishop of Abila (1880.03.14 – 1905.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia) (1880.03.14 – 1905.09.01)

Bishop Pierre-Ferdinand Vitte, S.M.
(1873.04.04 – 1880.01.15)

Born:	1824.11.04 (Cormoz, France)
Ordained Priest:	1847
Consecrated Bishop:	1873.05.04
Died:	1883.12.09 († 59)

Vicar Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia) (1873.04.04 – 1880.01.15)

Titular Bishop of Anastasiopolis (1873.04.04 – 1883.12.09)

Fr. Pierre Rougeyron, S.M.
(1855 – 1873)

Born:	1817.04.01
Ordained Priest:	1843.04.23
Died:	1902.11.15 († 85)

Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia) (1855 – 1873)

Bishop Guillaume Maria Douarre, S.M.
(1847.07.13 – 1853.04.27)

Born:	1810.12.16 (Job, France)
Ordained Priest:	1834.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1842.10.18
Died:	1853.04.27 († 42)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Central Oceania (Tonga) (1841.09.08 – 1847.07.13)

Titular Bishop of Amathus in Palæstina (1842.08.23 – 1853.04.27)

Vicar Apostolic of Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia) (1847.07.13 – 1853.04.27)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Eugène Klein, M.S.C. (1971.06.05 – 1972.04.07)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Michel-Marie-Bernard Calvet, S.M. (81) (later Archbishop) (1979.07.04 – 1981.06.19)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale Saint-Joseph, Nouméa
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)

Churches by City (73)

Brisbane (←), Honiara (↖), Port-Vila (↑), Suva (→), Auckland (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 18,575 km²

Population: 142,500 Catholics (50.6% of 281,500 total)

Pastoral Centres: 29 parishes

Personnel: 24 priests (14 diocesan, 10 religious), 26 deacons, 64 religious (18 brothers, 46 sisters), 3 seminarians